The Dodo Archive

Dogs Taking Their Humans For A Stroll

From October 1 until April 30 dogs are permitted on all beaches in Sunderland. There are only two beaches in Sunderland where dogs are permitted all year round, one is at Roker and the other is Seaburn. We took a trip to Roker Beach to find out why dog walkers love the beach and about their love of dogs to celebrate World Animal Day 2015.

Dogs are amazing animals, to some people they are like human beings, as a lot of people say dogs are 'a man's best friend'. They know what mood you are in, when they will get fed, when they will be taken on 'walkies', they listen to you, in fact dogs are really intelligent animals, and there is no other way to show our appreciation for these beautiful creatures than celebrating World Animal Day.

After a week of wonderful weather in Sunderland we thought we should head down to Roker beach and meet some lovely people taking their dogs for a daily walk to the beach. Roker is one of only two beaches in Sunderland where dogs are permitted all year round, and clearly many dog walkers take advantage of this. Especially this week where the weather has been great, well, for Sunderland it has been absolutely fantastic!

We met a range of beautiful dogs including an anti-allergy labra doodle, pugs, a shi-tzu and a range of well behaved, playful hounds. Not many of the dog owners knew about World Animal Day, I found this very surprising considering the aim of the occasion is to improve the welfare and to create better living conditions for all animals around the globe. As the video shows, these owners love their dogs as if they were their children, and for them not to know about World Animal Day tells me that animal lovers should be more aware of how they can improve the conditions of animals lives.

Going down to the beach on a sunny day to see dogs running around and clearly enjoying themselves, getting plenty of exercise and socialising with the other dogs is an amazing thing to witness and be a part of. By speaking to many dog walkers we saw the love for their animals and how well they connected. As well as being a lovely experience it was also very educational, we found out information about different breeds of dogs and how easy or difficult they are to look after, which ones like the water and running around, and which ones enjoy a slow peaceful walk (the lazy ones).

A lot of people think they know everything about dogs, so here are some unusual and interesting facts for you dog lovers;

The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child, it understands up to 250 words and gestures, how amazing is that? They can also count up to five, if a human had this much knowledge, it wouldn't be anything to shout about, but an animal who cannot speak, it is quite wonderful.

Some people may say that bringing a child up with a dog in the house is dangerous, whereas a child who has been brought up with a dog is healthier and more adjusted to human beings. They have stronger immune systems and less allergies, but obviously, never leave a small child alone with a dog.

When dogs kick after doing their dirt every thought they were trying to cover it? Well guess again, by doing this they are using the scent glands on their paws to mark their territory... as well as leaving a lovely present.

Dogs as well as other animals are abandoned, not treated well and are in poor condition all around the world, places such as the RSPCA and other local rescue centres can help them, although they cannot do all the work. If you are looking for a new pet, maybe try these places and you could make one happy animal, and it sure will make you happy in return.

World Animal Day needs to be celebrated more often because the work they do is amazing, and by giving a small donation, it can help a lot more than you think.. go to http://www.worldanimalday.org.uk